New Bank of England chief faces slow recovery: King

LONDON

Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney takes part in a news conference in Ottawa November 26, 2012.

Reuters/Chris Wattie

LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England's new governor faces a "slow and protracted recovery" that may require the bank to make further purchases of government bonds, outgoing chief Mervyn King said on Tuesday.

British finance minister George Osborne announced the appointment of Canada's central bank head Mark Carney as the next governor of the BoE on Monday.

"It may be unreasonable to expect anything other than a slow and protracted recovery, absent a further fall in the real exchange rate," King told parliament.

"In such an environment, there are limits to the ability of domestic policy to stimulate private sector demand as the economy adjusts to a new equilibrium," he said. "In the event that further easing is required, I believe it appropriate to continue with our policy of purchasing gilts."

He said the Bank of England should have ruled out the chance of a strong economic rebound for 2013 and 2014 earlier.

"I am completely confident with Mark Carney as someone with whom the Bank is in very good hands - as indeed is the role of governor which I am sure he will carry out with very great distinction," King said.